The Childhood of Maxim Gorky

Detstvo Gorkogo

Synopsis

Based upon Maxim Gorky’s 1913 autobiography, a twelve-year-old’s journey in life is set against the tumultuous backdrop of 19th century Russia. From this portrait comes an inspiring, panoramic view of human conditions and conflicts, with tableaux beautifully vivid and forceful.

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There are some hammy parts to this film so why give it a perfect score? Some of the beautiful sentimentality got to me and the quality and sharpness of the images is something for a 1938 film. As a film student I read Maxim Gorky's essay in which he saw cinema for the first time and wrote the famous line "last night I was in the kingdom of shadows". You can sense the reverence Russians have for Gorky in this film.